One prior art method of splinting a femur fracture is to use a single rigid splint, such as a broomstick, which extends between the armpit and ankle of the patient. The patient's leg is bound to the broomstick and then the patient is transported to hospital on a stretcher or the like. Whilst in some circumstances this method may be satisfactory for distal fractures (that is those away from the pelvis and therefore adjacent the knee), this prior art method is not very satisfactory for proximal fractures (those which are near the pelvis).
An alternative arrangement is the so called Thomas splint which applies a frame to the torso of the patient and also applies longitudinal traction to the lower leg. This splint is a relatively expensive appliance and is substantially bulky. Therefore although the splint may be of some use for ambulance officers, for example, transporting an elderly patient to hospital after a fall where the nature of the injuries are known before the ambulance departs from its base, this splint is of little use as a first aid measure in emergency situations such as motor vehicle accidents or military accidents/wounds.
A further device is the so called Mast suit which comprises a pair of trousers into which the legs of the patient are inserted. The trousers are then inflated so as to form a rigid enveloping structure. This suit suffers from a number of disadvantages in that firstly the legs of the patient need to be he-d apart. Thus this suit is not able to be used with the Thomas splint or the other above described conventional splints where the "good" leg is used in the splinting arrangement. Furthermore, the Mast suit pushes blood back into the upper part of the body and in some circumstances this can be disadvantageous to the patient.
As a consequence of the above described problems with splinting, it sometimes happens that first aid personnel apply plaster to the leg of the patient at the site of the accident before moving the patient. This has two major disadvantages. Firstly it is extremely difficult in emergency situations such as arise as a result of military wounds where the patient may well be under fire, in darkness, or the like. Secondly, once the plastered patient has been transported to hospital, the plaster must then be removed before further treatment is able to be commenced. This is a painful and time consuming procedure and therefore to be avoided if possible.